Florida Panther

Florida Panther

The Florida Panther is one of the 32 different subspecies of Cougar and is the only remaining subspecies on the East Coast. The Florida Panther is an endangered big cat species that can have males weighing between 100-159 pounds. They have tan colored fur with a white belly along with black spots on the end of its tail and ears. It currently only lives in the swamps and forests of South Florida even though it used to occupy areas throughout the Gulf Coast extending into Arkansas and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina.

(picture from The New York Times)

One of the main reasons for this species decline was that a bounty was put on them in 1832 because they were seen as a threat to humans and livestock, which lead to the killings of thousands of panthers. This, coupled with habitat loss has lead to the dwindling numbers of wild Florida Panther and has caused them to become endangered.

The main threats to the survival of the Panther today are mostly all associated with habitat loss and how little land they have to survive on. Since they do not have that much habitat, there is not enough land for their population to grow back to a healthy, sustainable level. A male panther can have territorial claims for 200 square miles and a female for 75 square miles so they need a lot of land to sustain a healthy population. Since there population is so small (only 100-160) left they are losing genetic diversity from inbreeding, resulting in a loss of fitness in Florida Panthers (picture from http://intra.burltwpsch.org/). This makes them more susceptible to diseases such as feline leukemia virus which is almost always fatal and causes the panthers to have poorer health overall. Even collisions with cars are a major problem for the panthers, which killed 20 panthers in 2014. When there population is just over 100 panthers, losing just one panther is bad, let alone twenty. However there is hope for the Florida Panther because there are plans to increase their population and get them off the endangered species list.

Since Panthers need so much land, the main goal of the restoration plan is to “maintain, restore, and expand the panther population and its habitat in south Florida”. This will be done by expanding the panther population north of the Caloosahatchee and by reestablishing viable panther populations outside of Florida by finding habitat that is suitable for a panther population to be introduced. To help the panthers with their loss of genetic diversity, a genetic restoration program was established.(http://www.fws.gov/southeast/news/2008/images/FloridaPantherGenet98A5BCF.pdf) Since, the Florida Panther used to be able to breed with other subspecies of cougar, there lack of contact with other subspecies today has led to inbreeding and a loss of genetic diversity. To fix this, people reintroduced 8 female Texas Panthers, which are the closest subspecies to the Florida Panther, into South Florida. These females mated with the local panther population and created many offspring, which tripled the panther Florida Panther Population as a whole. This has helped with the loss of genetic diversity due to a small breeding population and has increased the health of the Florida Panther population.

(warriorcatsrpg.com)

The Florida panther will also be left on the endangered species list until there are three, self-sustaining populations of 240 panthers for at least twelve years in a row. If everything goes as planned and there are no speed bumps in the restoration process, then the Florida Panther could be moved from endangered to threatened in 30 years and completely delisted in 45 years.

Works Cited

"Basic Facts About Florida Panthers." Defenders of Wildlife. Charity Navigator, 21

Mar. 2012. Web. 2015.

"Florida Panther." National Wildlife Federation. Wildlife and Nature, March 3, 2015

The Florida Panther Recovery Team. "Third Revision of the Florida Panther

Recovery Plan." Environmental Conservation Online System. US Fish and Wildlife Service, 17 Dec. 1981. Web.

Yellow Stone Grizzly Bear

Greater Yellow Stone Grizzly Bear

(these aren't your everyday black bears)
Luke Marshall

Ursus arctos horribilis

Appearance: Grizzly bears are very strong and large animals. Their size and weight depend largely on food supply, as well as climate conditions. Adult bears can stand up to four feet tall at the shoulders and can weigh up to 800 pounds. They are very heavy but also surprisingly fast, they can run up to 35 miles per hour.

Habitat:

The Yellow Stone Grizzly bear is a very solitary animal and will only be with other bears if it is a mother or is mating. Adult males feed on 80 percent meat and 20 percent vegetation, and females feed on 60 percent meat and 40 percent vegetation. Most of their diet consists of fish, such as the Cutthroat Trout, and because they are very opportunistic feeders they will feed on almost anything but their favorite vegetation is the Whitebark Pine nut.

courtesy of  History.com

Geographic and Population Changes:

Grizzlies traditionally ranged far and wide over all of North America; however, since humans have been pushing farther and farther into their habitat they are now confined to national parks and very remote portions of the US as well as Canada. Bears are very opportunistic animals and adapt very well but because they will attack humans they often have to be put down if they become too accustomed to human food. In addition to this they are often hunted for sport because they are so infamous.

Cause of Listing and Main Threats:

The Grizzly Bear was originally listed because it was observed that the national numbers of Grizzlies was declining at an alarming rate. They have few enemies other than other bears and humans. They are illegally hunted by both the landowners seeing the bears as a threat to their livestock, and poachers interested in their hides, teeth, claws and internal organs for the Asian medical market. Due to their shrinking habitat there is much more interference from other bears. This comes in the form of an increased amount of cubs have been killed because of adult males as well as increased competition for a smaller amount of food.

Main points of the recovery plan:

The Grizzly bear was originally listed in 1975 under the Endangered Species Act. It was briefly delisted and then under a revised recovery plan was listed again in 1993 as Threatened. Since the grizzly bear is only listed as threatened all actions are listed in importance as 3's, which means that they are actions only to secure the full recovery of the species.  The majority of these actions are only surveys to make sure that the populations of the bears themselves as well as their food sources are still intact. These main food sources in the Greater Yellow Stone area include Cutthroat Trout, Whitebark Pine, and Cutworm Moths. In addition to these surveys, also listed in priority is site limitation and livestock monitoring. The first means that sites where human contact would occur has to be minimized as bears are very intelligent and if they find a food source and it has to do with humans it will probably not end well for the bear. The second is along the same lines but it has to do with making sure that livestock is well out of the way of bear territory.

You can help save these magnificent animals too! Do your part by abiding by all camping rules and try to make as little of a trace as possible. To see how else you can help go to http://www.defenders.org/grizzly-bear/

Restoring the San Joaquin Kit Fox

San Joaquin Kit Fox
By Kali Leonard

Picture

Description and Ecology

The San Joaquin Kit Fox is one of the smallest of the canid species in North America. They weigh about 5 lbs and average 30 inches long with a bushy tail of 11 inches. Their coat is tan in the summer and a silver grey color in the winter. They have a distinct black tipped tail and long ears. Their diet consists of one third rodents and also eat some vegetation and insects. They are nocturnal and use dens as shelter. Females usually have a 2-6 pups litter in early spring. 

Geographic and Population Changes

Picture: http://esrp.csustan.edu/gis/maps/sjkfrange.png

Much of the historic and current range of the San Joaquin Kit Fox is still unknown; mostly because much of the land in the San Joaquin Valley is private property and is unable to be observed. Historically the fox inhabited most of the valley but today the fox only inhabits fragments of the valley and parts of the central coast. A study by Grinnell in 1937 estimated that the the kit fox range in the San Joaquin Valley was reduced by half by the 1930s. The valley does have refuges for the fox at Bitter Creek National Refuge, Grasslands Wildlife Management Area, Kern National Wildlife Refuge, Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and Pixley National Wildlife Refuge. 

The San Joaquin Kit Fox was first listed as endangered on March 11, 1967 and has been endangered for over 50 years this month. A recovery plan was approved in 1983. The plan stated that recovering the kit fox population would be "considered critical to recovery of many other species in the San Joaquin Valley." 

Main Threats 

The San Joaquin Valley has undergone huge transformation since the arrival of settlers. The valley used to be a huge network of wetlands. Today, however, the valley has been converted into mostly farm land. The decline of the San Joaquin Kit Fox has ultimately been because of this land transformation. The US Fish and Wildlife recovery plan stated major population decline was due to "Loss, degradation, and fragmentation of habitats associated with agricultural, industrial, and urban developments in the San Joaquin Valley" (picture from Professor Frazier's lecture).

Transformation of The San Joaquin Valley

Recovery Plan

The recovery plan for the San Joaquin Kit Fox is proposed in two levels. The first level focuses on creating strong meta populations through the valley based on size and location as well as maintaining strong connections to ensure genetic diversity. The plan stresses creating three major core populations and between nine and twelve satellite populations. The three core populations are the Carrizo Plain area in San Luis Obispo County, Natural lands of Western Kern county, and the Ciervo-Panoche natural area of western Fresno and eastern San Benito counties. The satellite populations are yet to be established. The second level is based on gaining further information about the San Joaquin kit fox's disbursement. This level stresses extensive research of the fox's status. 

For more information on the San Joaquin Kit Fox visit the following websites:

• Defenders of Wildlife-http://www.defenders.org/san-joaquin-kit-fox/basic-facts
• US Fish & Wildlife Service-http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A006
• California Department of Wildlife-https://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/kitfox.html

The Tale of Pygmy Rabbit

 

   

 Hello! Let me tell you about one of the cutest rabbits you will ever see. This rabbit is called the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit and it is the smallest rabbit species in America (Orr 1940; Janson 1946; Wilde 1978; Gahr 1993; WDFW 1995). Adults weigh a whopping .83 to 1.1 pounds and are around 9.3 to 11.6 inches (Orr 1940; Janson 1946; Wilde 1978; Gahr 1993; WDFW 1995).

Source: oregonzoo.org

These little guys are fast though for their size and can reach speeds of 15 miles per hour (NWF). They are also the only US rabbit species that actually dig their own burrows to raise their young (NWF). In the summer their fur is a cinnamon brown while in the winter their fur turns gray (savethepygmyrabbit). Their diet consists mostly of sagebrush and when danger is present, the rabbits whistle to alert each other (savethepygmyrabbit). 
 

   The Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit is found (unsurprisingly) in the Columbia Basin (Lyman 1991; Lyman 2004) which stretches mostly across the Northwest United States. The rabbits were thought to be “extirpated” (meaning to be completely destroyed) from Washington in the 20th century all until 1979 (USFWS 2012). In 1993 there were around 150 rabbits but the population started to drastically decline from 1997 onwards (WDFW 2001a) with many failed recovery efforts in 2000, 2007, and 2011 (USFWS 2012). As of July 31, 2012, 103 captive-bred rabbits have been released into the wild (USFWS 2012).

Source: USFWS Recovery Plan

The Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit was put on the Endangered Species List on January 23, 2013 as Endangered. (USFWS 2012)

The main cause of the Pygmy Rabbit listing is from native shrub that is vital to the rabbit’s habit destroyed due to agriculture and land development (Daubenmire 1988; Franklin and Dyrness 1988; Dobler et al. 1996; WDFW 1995). It has been discovered that around 60% of the native shrub habitat has been fragmented in the Columbia Basin (Dobler et al. 1996). Fragmentation is when habitat is destroyed so that only small pieces of the habitat remain, making it impossible for the rabbits to move around and create family groups (Katzner and Parker 1997).

Other threats to the Pygmy Rabbit are:

*Fire that burns down the sagebrush (Daubenmire 1988; WDFW 1995)

*Parasites that create diseases (Gahr 1993; WDFW 1995)

*Predation (Green 1979)

*Lack of genetic diversity due to small populations (Shaffer 1981).

Source: oregonzoo.org

Luckily, the lovely people of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have come up with a plan to save these cute little creatures!

1. Manage breeding of rabbits in captivity to ensure genetic diversity and survival in the early years (USFWS 2012)
2. Release the rabbits “within their historical distribution” (USFWS 2012)
3. Monitor wild rabbits to make sure they are doing okay (USFWS 2012)
4. Protect the rabbits (USFWS 2012)
5. Manage habitats so that the rabbits can continue to thrive there (USFWS 2012)
6. Talk to managers and landowners in the habitat and make a conservation agreement (USFWS 2012)
7. Educate the public on the rabbits to increase support (USFWS 2012)
8. Raise money to help the recovery efforts (USFWS 2012)
9. Change the recovery plan if needed so that the final goal with be achieved (USFWS 2012)
   
   
   
   
   Want to find out more? Check out these sites!
   
   
   Learn more about the Oregon Zoo's efforts to help the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits! 
   Read the actual plan the Fish and Wildlife Service have implemented to help!
   
   

Florida Panther by Makena Lester

Florida Panther

by Makena Lester

http://highlandstoday.com/hi/local-news/more-panther-habitat-in-highlands-a-possibility-500906

What is the Florida Panther?

         The Florida Panther, or Puma concolor coryi, are predators that usually live to be between ten to fifteen years, weigh between 70-130 pounds, and are about 23-27 inches tall at the shoulder. Florida Panthers are light brown or tan on top and pale grey underneath. Panthers are extremely mobile and can maintain a range of two hundreds square miles hunting mainly white-tailed deer, feral hogs, rabbits, raccoons, armadillo, birds and other animals (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). Panthers are most active at dusk and dawn and rest during the heat of the day (1).

http://intra.burltwpsch.org/users/mfilbert/studentwork06-07/goslin/g12/Index.htm

                                                                                   

Where is the Florida Panther found?

         The only known living and breeding population is estimated at about 100-180 adults or subadults in south Florida. Historically they were found all across the southeastern United States. One male has been documented as wandering into southern Georgia, but there is no sustaining population other than southern Florida at the moment. They can live in a variety of different habitats including forests, prairies, and swamps. Their dens are usually located in areas of dense vegetation (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). Panthers are very mobile and occur in very low densities. Where pumas spend most of their time and where they usually live, called the primary zone, is composed of 45% forest, 41% freshwater marsh, 7.6% agriculture lands, 2.6% prairie and shrub lands, and .52% urban lands. This habitat selection is highly related to prey availability (2).

http://www.mountainlion.org/us/fl/-fl-portal.asp

                        

Why did these panthers start disappearing?

            In 1967 the U.S. Department of the Interior listed Florida Panthers as an endangered species and when congress passed the Endangered Species Act in 1973 they were listed as endangered. Numerous factors influence panther home range size including habitat quality, prey density, and landscape configuration. As humans took over the United States as their habitat, pumas were exterminated in the western part of the country. Panther habitats were becoming fragmented and eventually the Florida panther population was isolated from other panther populations.  The biggest threats or most influential factors for the panthers being listed as an endangered species are habitat loss and human contact (vehicular collisions) due mainly to human develop where these panthers once called home (3).

 

http://gpfl.org/big-oil-moves-against-florida-panther-habitat/

How are we fixing this problem?

            According to the Florida Panther Recovery plan, third revision, put in place in 2008, there was a trial-reintroduction in 1988 where they captured seven pumas in Texas and placed them in northern Florida to track and see how viable it would be to reintroduce the Florida panther. These pumas were tracked and were able to sustain their lifestyle, establish territories, and reproduce. This started the movement for reintroduction of the Florida panther into northern Florida, which was managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  To reduce vehicular collisions with these panthers, the recovery plan suggests that Florida should identify and prioritize locations that need crossing and fencing to prevent the panthers from wandering onto streets where they could be hit and killed by a car (2). They also need to work with local communities to ensure that future roads or projects are built to support panther safety. Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is focused on conserving possible viable habitats for the Florida Panther for more reintroductions in Florida to increase genetic variation, helping to fight off possible diseases, and to increase population sizes (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan). However, for the panthers to be able to sustain life in these areas the prey animal populations need to be strong as well so they have developed and implanted management practices for private land-owners as well as for public land so when these panthers are reintroduced, it is successful. The recovery plan also wants to educate people on the panther endangerment to increase the publics’ understanding of these panthers and their behavior so when they can and do reintroduce these animals it gives them the best chance of survival (3).

Work Cited:
1. "Basic Facts About Florida Panthers." Defenders of Wildlife. 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.defenders.org/florida-panther/basic-facts>.

2. "Florida Panther - National Wildlife Federation." Florida Panther - National Wildlife Federation. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/florida-panther.aspx>.

3. "Frequently Asked Questions." The Florida Panther Society, Inc. Web. 14 Mar. 2015. <http://www.panthersociety.org/faq.html>.

History and Recovery Plan of the Steller Sea Lion

Blog by: Jake McEwen

Species: Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus)

Description of Species: 

The Steller Sea Lion, also known as the Northern Sea Lion, can be found in the much colder and sub-arctic temperatures of the Northern Pacific Ocean along the coastlines of such places as the Bering and Okhotsk Sea and can even be found south of California. This species of Sea Lion is the biggest member o the Otariid family which are eared seals. Males can weigh up to 2,500 pounds while females can reach up to 700 pounds; this extreme weight difference is due to the fact that this species exhibits sexual dimorphism meaning that the males are excessively larger than females. Along with their size, males can be distinguished from females by their thick mane of coarse hair. The Steller Seal Lion can be found feeding near shore and pelagic waters. According to the Office of Protected Resources, "Steller sea lions are opportunistic predators, foraging and feeding primarily at night on a wide variety of fishes (e.g., capelin, cod, herring, mackerel, pollock, rockfish, salmon, sand lance, etc.), bivalves, cephalopods (e.g., squid and octopus) and gastropods." These Sea Lions utilize land habitats (shores) to rest, molt, mate, and raise their offspring. This species does not migrate, but will travel great distances following their prey. 

Threats to the Steller sea lions (according to the Office of Protected Resources):

- Boat/Ship strikes

- Pollutants

- Habitat degradation 

- Illegal hunting

- Offshore oil and gas exploration

- Killing and placing bounties on this species, which fishermen blamed for stealing fish from them (in the early 1900s)
- Killing to limit their predation on fish in aquaculture facilities (fish farms), but intentional killing of Steller sea lions has not been permitted since they were protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and listed under the ESA (not since 1972).

Population changes and reasons for Listings:

The Steller Sea Lion Population has been split into two distinct districts, an Eastern U.S. district and a Western U.S. district. In the Western U.S. there are approximately 39,000 to 45,000 sea lions while the Eastern U.S. holds approximately 44,500 to 48,000 sea lions. Before their decline it was estimated that there were 240,000 to 300,000 seals within the full scope of their range. Between 1976 and 1990 the Western district fell by 75% and then between 1991 and 2000 that reduced population declined another 40%. The decline eventually reached a total of 80% of the original population within the U.S. which was dramatic enough to cause the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare the species threatened range-wide under the Endangered Species Act in April 1990. After their listing, the species declined at a rate of 5% each year which is lower compared to the 15% experienced each year during the 1980s. The two districts actually came to be in 1997 when the NMFS decided that the East and West populations were experiencing different fluctuations. According to the Recovery Plan for the Steller Sea Lion, "The western DPS, extending from Japan around the Pacific rim to Cape Suckling in Alaska (144°W), was up-listed to endangered due to its continuous decline and lack of recovery. The eastern DPS, extending from Cape Suckling east to British Columbia and south to California, remained on the list as threatened because of concern over western DPS animals ranging into the east, human interactions, and the lack of recovery in California." 

Where are we at now?

Currently the Eastern Disctinct Population Segment has been delisted while the Western Distinct Population Segment is listed as endangered. 

Description of Recovery Plan:

In 1992, two years after being listed, a recovery plan was created for the seals, and in 2008 an updated and revised recovery plan was issued. The current recovery plan mainly features critical habitat designations and catch/harvest limits concerning the Steller seal lions. A 20 nautical mile buffer that surrounds major beaches and feeding grounds that Stellers use has been implemented. These buffer zones include designated no-entry zones around breeding grounds. According to the plan the NMFS has "implemented a complex suite of fishery management measures designed to minimize competition between fishing and the endangered population of Steller sea lions in critical habitat areas."

Links to helpful websites for more information: 

http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/stellersealion.pdf

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/pinnipeds/stellersealion.htm

Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Cole Martiniak

Brian Gratwicke

Background of Loggerheads

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is a medium sized reptile found in coastal bays and estuaries along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, with the majority of them found along the Eastern coastline of the US. They grow up to be around 3.5 feet, weigh up to 375 pounds, and can live up to 50 years in the wild. They got their name due to their unusually large heads and strong jawbones. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is a carnivore that feeds mostly upon shellfish, such as horseshoe crabs, clams, mussels, and other invertebrates. Their powerful jaws make it easy for them to crush and devour their prey. Their carapace, also known as their shell, is reddish-brown and shaped like a heart. This species nests on beaches and lays its eggs at night. Their nesting season goes from April to September and they are known for laying more than 100 eggs at one time! It is estimated that there are around 40,000-50,000 nesting females alive today. 

<http://www.euroturtle.org/green/dlogg.htm>

Listing Date and Type of Listing

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle was first added to the endangered species list July 28, 1978. However, in September 2011 the species was broken up into 9 distinct regions, with four of the nine being listed as threatened and the other five being endangered. In the US they are listed as threatened and internationally they are endangered.

Cause of Listing and Main Threats

A Loggerhead trapped
in a net. Photo by
Alejandro Fallabrino

Starting in the 1980’s, the recovery team responsible evaluated 5 subunits of Loggerhead Sea turtles along the Southeastern coast of the US to determine the species population trend. In four of the five subunits they found that the populations were declining which gave them cause for concern. There are several threats to the longevity of Loggerhead Sea turtles and most are due to human interference. The most impactful being degradation of habitat caused by coastal development. This limits Loggerheads from nesting and can cause shock and confusion for the newly born. Also effecting their status is marine pollution and debris, which Loggerheads could potentially eat. Another huge threat is the incidental take from channel dredging, commercial trawling, longline, and gill net fisheries.

Description of Recovery Plan

The recovery plan has many parts, thus ensuring the safety of the Loggerhead Sea turtles future. The main part of the plan is to protect and manage the nesting habitats of the Loggerhead. The recovery team wants to make sure the number of nests in each subunit is increasing and hope that that would correspond to an increase in nesting females. Next, is that they want to increase the abundance of juveniles in the oceans and also increase the rate at which they are being sent out into the ocean. Third, is to facilitate sufficient feeding, migratory, and internesting marine habitats to protect growth and reproduction. Lastly, along with prohibiting harvest, their plan is to minimize all human interference, such as vessel strikes, marine debris ingestion, and bycatch in domestic and international fisheries. It would be a shame to lose such a majestic creature, especially if we are the ones sending this species to the grave.

Find ways to help Loggerhead Sea Turtles here
For more info click here



Sources

1.     http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/loggerhead-sea-turtle.htm

2.    http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/090116.pdf